JOY FEELINGS MAGAZINE OCTOBER.2015 | Page 65

keeping fit and pelvic floor exercises. Vaginal secretions or discharge Other than your period as part of your natural menstrual cycle, it’s normal to produce clear or white secretions (discharge) from your vagina. This mucus is produced naturally from the neck of the womb, known as the cervix. “Vaginal discharge is not ‘always a bad sign’,” says Dr Elneil. “There is a myth that copious clear or white discharge is associated with sexually transmitted infections. Changes in the amount of discharge can be 100% hormonal – in other words, linked to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or menopause.” The character and amount of vaginal discharge varies throughout your menstrual. Around the time that your ovary releases an egg (ovulation), your discharge JOY FEELINGS usually becomes thicker and stretchy, like raw egg white. Healthy discharge doesn’t have a strong smell or colour. You may feel an uncomfortable wetness, but you shouldn’t have any itching or soreness around your vagina. If there are any changes to your discharge that aren’t normal for you, such as a change in colour or if it starts to smell or itch, see your GP as you might have an infection. You can find out more about vaginal discharge, pregnancy and the menopause. Bacteria in the vagina There are lots of bacteria inside the vagina, and they’re there to protect it. Professor Ronnie Lamont, spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, says: “The vagina contains more bacteria than anywhere else in the body after the bowel, but the